The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-08
DISCUSSION OF RELIGIOUS WORK.
What Was Said and Done at Yesterdays
Meeting of the Evangelical Ministers.

Yesterday morning the regular session of the
Evangelical Ministers Association was held at
the Y. M. G. A. parlors. The needs of the
Chlldren's Aid Society explained by Mrs.
Stanton j. Peelle and a request was made by
her that a collection for the benefit of the soci-
ETY. be taken in all the churches of the city on
the Sunday before Thanksgiving DR.. Mclean,
OF the American Bible Society, then spoke in be-
half of that organization. Proceeding to the
regular programme, Rev. W. F. Sheridan pre-
sented paper on 1.-THE New Theology" giving
his views of its nature, tendencies and origin.
This called forth an animated discussion, in
which Messrs. Jeffrey, Gilbert, Jenckes, Haines
and others took part After the discussion had
closed, resolutions of sympathy were passed
tending the coincidence of the association to
Rev. Mcleod, who suffers from an injury to his
eye, to Rev. Wydman, who is sick with typhoid
fever, and to DR.. Bradley whose son is i'll with
the same disease.
DR.. Van Meter, of Rome, was then introduced.
He called attention to the fact that this was the
hftleth anniversary of the burial of Lovejoy, the
Abolition martyr, and stated that he was one of
the pail bearers. Since 1870 DR.. Van Meter has
been engaged in the work of the Howard Mis-
sion in Rome. At that date the mission sent its
agents there and their entrance Bible
could not be purchased in the entire city. Since
then the work Ia has spread to IA towns IN Italy,
and nearly "a, 900 copies of the gospel have been
distributed. A few months ago little printing
Office, which the mission had established in
Rome, had to be torn away for new street
which was being opened, and for days no other
empty room could be found. But at last the
italian who managed the office discovered the
torture-1soom of the old Inquisition, which has
stood vacant for four hundred years. The last
use to which it put the torture of
Christians to force them to renounce their faith,
and closed and dark it has stood since, with
mold gathering its walls and rust on the
heavy iron rings to which the victims were sus-
pended The room was secured and thrown
open; windows were broken through the massive
masonry, the printing press set up and
one night Dr. Van Meter and his wife, side by
side, turned the crank which ran the press, and
there, below the rusty rings, the gospel of st.
John was printed.
A committee composed of Revs. Gilbert,
Haines, Jeffery, Gantz, Jenckes, Baltzly and
Hyde was appointed to make arrangements for
a mass-meeting reception to DR.. Van Meter dur
ing his stay in the city, which will be extended
over the next two weeks.
A resolution sis ned by Revs Hunter, Lamport
and Jordan was introduced, proposing that steps
should be taken by the association toward ten
dering reception to Rev. Dr. Parker. the dis
tinguished English preacher when he visits IN
dianapois An animated discussion followed
in which the proposition was very strongly OPP
posed by Revs- Jenckes, Jeffrey, Gilbert and
Anderson, members of the association and DR..
Mclean, of the American Bible Society The
resolution was defeated by vote of 80 to g.